Red River Scramble is a free grassroots adventure motorcycle rally; eastern Kentucky is my favorite place to ride, and I want to share that experience with other motorcyclists. This year the event will begin on Thursday, September 28th, run until Sunday, October 1st, and will be primarily held at the Lago Linda Hideaway near Beattyville, Kentucky.
Nestled in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky, Red River Gorge is a canyon system littered with sandstone cliffs, rock shelters, waterfalls, and natural arches. The paved roads in and around the gorge are some of the best in the Bluegrass State, meanwhile, the off-road riding offers adventure seekers challenges over all types of terrain, with intimate access to some of the area’s unique scenery.
Red River Scramble is a FREE, self-guided, “Choose Your Own Adventure” motorcycle rally. Attendees are encouraged to make new friends and put groups together to go out and ride the great roads and trails Kentucky has to offer. Local roads are some of my favorite stretches of twisty pavement, and the nearby “trails” offer challenges for all skill levels (Off-road riding is NOT required; see Where to Ride for more information).
The “unofficial” start of the rally is lunch at Miguel’s Pizza on Thursday, with two whole days of adventure riding to follow. As I said, admission is free, so riders are also responsible for making their own lodging and food arrangements. Lago Linda will be selling a limited number of meals at the Country Cafe at select times; be sure to check in with Lago Linda if you’re interested in taking advantage of that convenience.
The event will be rain or shine, please plan accordingly; hopefully, the Bluegrass State will bless us with comfortable May weather. Lago Linda has multiple levels of accommodations, from fully furnished cabins with indoor plumbing, designated RV parking with associated hook-ups, multiple tent campsites including 110V power connections, along with typical primitive arrangements; bathroom and shower houses are also available for campers.
“Adventure” is the spirit of the event but dual-sport bikes are not required. Per my previous comments, paved roads in the area are some of the best in the state, many of which also grant attendees access to some of the best views. Inversely, the dual-sport riding can accommodate multiple skill levels; The Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway (DBBB) includes challenging trails around the entire area, meanwhile riders new to dirt, or first-time “Scramblers” can get a taste for gravel on many of the well-manicured forest service roads inside Daniel Boone National Forest. Seasoned adventure riders may also want to consider making an entire week of the event and tackling the Kentucky Adventure Tour (KAT) as it overlaps with the northern portion of the DBBB in Slade.
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Red River Scramble 